Replace Messi and Huang Bo come on the court. Can this game save Chishuihejiu?

Author︱Yu Zaiyang

Everyone who knows the history of the industry knows that Chishuihe wine, which was once lively, can be regarded as a liquor brand that has died once.

It should be difficult to recover from the dead in a fiercely competitive market environment.

Celebrity endorsement, holding a bowl and smashing the pot

Looking back at the past and present of Chishuihe Liquor, we found that this liquor brand seems to be highly contradicting celebrities, and there seems to be a mutual harm model hidden behind it. Judging from the two celebrity endorsements experiences of Chishuihe Liquor, after getting involved in celebrities, either the company is over, or the celebrity is humiliated, and ultimately the brand image is damaged.

For example, after Deng Jianguo endorsing Chishuihe Liquor, he not only suffered heavy debts due to repeated investment failures, but eventually Chishuihe Liquor also ended up with a market decline and trademark transfer; for example, Messi, more than a year ago, was not only dissatisfied with Chinese fans due to his different performances in the two matches of Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan, but also caused public opinion to affect Chishuihe Liquor. Deng Jianguo and Messi, who were before

, were famous people who were like fish in the film and television industry, and the other was a world superstar in the international football world today. Their common experience was that they all wanted to pick up the bowl of Chinese liquor, but they smashed the cooking pot of Chishui River.

Messi slapped Chishuihe in the face in August 2023, Chishuihe Liquor announced that Messi became its brand spokesperson. Judging from the media's publicity efforts after the official endorsement announcement, the brand is full of confidence and hope for this endorsement cooperation.

Originally, there should be a win-win expectation for the cooperation between the two - Messi has a reputation and many fans who love football, and also has the willingness to expand the Chinese market; while Chishuihe Liquor has traffic demand, and is willing to pave the way between Messi and Chinese fans.

However, the cooperation between the two sides was soon slapped in the face by Messi. There was a friendly match in Hong Kong in February 2024. Messi, who went with the team, refused to appear on the grounds of injury and finally released the fan pigeon; and three days later, Messi, who arrived in Tokyo, Japan, played in an exhibition match as a substitute.

Messi's move not only made Chishuihejiu feel slutty, but also directly slapped his partner in the face, almost smashing the Chishuihejiu's meal. Chinese fans not only strongly dissatisfied with Messi, but also logged into Chishuihejiu's social media account. While "striking" his comment area, they called on Chishuihejiu to terminate the contract with Messi.

This incident, because of the failure to pre-evaluate the potential risks of celebrity endorsement, not only did Chishuihejiu lose "Messi's handful of rice", but also turned the endorsement event into a "face slap show" - Messi slapped Chinese fans in the face, fans slapped Chishuihejiu, and Chishuihejiu slapped the face for many media that carried the sedan chair for him. The story between Deng Jianguo, who once "emptied" the Chishui River Wine account, took place more than 20 years ago. At that time, Deng Jianguo was in the limelight in the film and television industry. His marriage with Chishuihejiu not only failed to successfully enter the final Hongluo tent, but also ruined his reputation.

At that time, Deng Jianguo was known as the "film and television tycoon". He started with 150,000 yuan in 1995 and established Guangdong Superstar Film Company the following year. Since then, all of his 40 film and television dramas have been made profits, among which the advertising patch revenue of "Kangxi's Private Visit" series reached as much as 110 million, creating a miracle in the domestic film and television market at that time.

In 2002, Deng Jianguo acquired Chishuihe Wine Company, Maotai Town, Renhuai City, Guizhou. As the dual identity of chairman and image spokesperson, he personally acted as the protagonist in the commercial film, trying to use his own star effect to increase the popularity of Chishuihe Wine.

Back then, with the halo of "film and television tycoon" Deng Jianguo, Chishui River Wine fell into the mortal world after a brief high exposure in the industry. Deng Jianguo himself was dragged into a "debt storm" due to continuous investment failures - in order to repay the debt, the books of Chishuihe Liquor were almost emptied.

According to public information, Hua Hongbing, former general manager of Chishuihe Liquor, once said that from August 2002 to February 2003, Chishuihe Liquor received a total of 50 million yuan, making about 10 million yuan, but these profits were almost all used by Deng Jianguo to fill the holes of Superstar Pictures, and even Superstar Pictures' salary was to be paid from Chishuihe Liquor's profits.

After the Spring Festival in 2003, Hua Hongbing found that the book funds were only 500,000 yuan left. At this point, Chishuihe Wine, whose capital chain has been broken, has finally become a short-lived passerby in the wine industry.

Selling wine with "fertilizer thinking"

In 2023, Chishuihe Wine, which finally resurrected the dead, attracted international star Messi to endorse hype before the product was launched, but was slapped in the face by Messi, which made the words "Messi, no chance" in the media report come true.

Chishuihe Wine, which was once despised by Deng Jianguo, has now come back. Its new owner is Guizhou Zhongchi Wine Industry Co., Ltd., which was established in September 2021. The chairman and actual controller of Zhongchi Liquor Industry is Gao Jinhua, who is also the chairman of Stanley, an A-share listed company.

information shows that Gao Jinhua acquired the "Chishuihe" trademark from natural person Yang Ling in October 2021, and then authorized it to Zhongchijiu Industry for use. Previously, Guangdong Superstar Film, a subsidiary of Deng Jianguo, had transferred the trademark to Yang Ling as early as 2008.

Gao Jinhua entered the wine industry with Stanley's "fertilizer thinking", and also reflected his past simplicity and rudeness in the marketing of Chishuihe Wine - if no one drinks, he will spend money, if he has no popularity, he will use celebrities to lead him, if he has no market, he will use advertisements to push forward like bulldozers.

Huang Bo, can he save the Chishui River?

After Messi, Zhongchijiu Industry chose film and television celebrity Huang Bo as the image spokesperson.

Stanley once bombarded through advertising, making a slogan that goes straight to the topic, "Stanley is used to fertilize the loess and black soils", and the slogan used by Zhongchijiu Industry is also simple and clear when building momentum for Chishuihejiu - Chishuihejiu is delicious.

Unfortunately, Messi is not supportive. No matter how delicious the wine is, if the spokesperson smashes your pot, the market will not be able to rise after all. In the Chishuihe Liquor flagship store on JD.com, the sales of Messi's signature Chishuihe Liquor are only a few dozen orders. On the contrary, the sales volume of products that can draw Messi's autographed jerseys often exceeds 3,000+.

Judging from JD's sales feedback, it seems that consumers' interest in jerseys is much higher than that in Chishuihe Liquor.

I wonder if the newly signed spokesperson Huang Bo can finally save the embarrassing situation? Can Huang Bo’s reputation be retraceable to consumer trust? Can it support Chishuihe Wine’s ambition? Has China Chili Liquor Industry done a preliminary assessment of the risk of hiring a spokesperson this time?